BAMAKO (Reuters) – West African presidents tightened the screws on Ivory Coast’s Laurent Gbagbo yesterday, ridding him of an ally at the top of the regional central bank who had safeguarded his access to funds.
World powers and African states have been pressing Gbagbo to cede power after a November presidential election that UN-certified results showed he lost to rival Alassane Ouattara, with the regional bank last month announcing it would no longer accept Gbagbo’s signature.
But the bank’s governor, an Ivorian seen as close to Gbagbo, failed to impose the decision by the bank’s ministers and will be replaced, the heads of state from West Africa’s single-currency zone announced.
“The conference is concerned about the impact of the non-application of (the ministers’) decision on the stability of the economic, financial and monetary system of the union,” they said after an emergency summit in Mali’s capital.
“The conference has taken note of the resignation of Mr Philippe Henri Dacoury-Tabley from his post as Governor of the Central Bank of West African States,” the leaders added in a declaration, adding the current vice-governor would take over until a permanent replacement is found.
The declaration said Gbagbo’s rival Ouattara, who has formed a parallel government in a hotel in Ivory Coast’s main city, had been invited to propose a permanent replacement for the central bank governor role. Guillaume Soro, Ouattara’s prime minister, said this would be done “quickly”, without giving a timeframe.
Patrick Achi, spokesman for the Ouattara-appointed government, called the move an important step.
“We are satisfied. We are heading towards the control of the accounts but it will happen in stages,” he said, adding that the next step would have to be the replacement of the director of the bank in Ivory Coast, who he said was also pro-Gbagbo.
Ouattara says Gbagbo has tapped between 80 and 100 billion CFA francs ($160-200 million) from Ivorian accounts at the bank despite regional recognition that Ouattara won the poll.
Ahoua Don Mello, a spokesman for Gbagbo’s government, called the decision in Mali “hasty and inappropriate”, adding that it would continue to challenge it in the regional court of justice.
“Ivory Coast believes it is dangerous to mix politics with economic and monetary policy,” he said on state television. “All steps have been taken to ensure the Ivorian banking system will continue to function.”
Gbagbo’s camp has brushed off previous efforts to squeeze it of funding and so far appears to be retaining control of the bulk of revenues from cocoa and oil production.
